“The thing that’s unseen is sometimes way more interesting than what people want you to see.” —Arlene Shechet

In the first of two new ART21 Exclusive episodes featuring Arlene Shechet, the artist creates cast paper reliefs at Dieu Donné, a papermaking studio in New York City. Most known for her ceramic sculptures, Shechet describes herself as being restless in her desire to investigate through various media. “The thing about working with paper is the immediacy of that entire process,” says the artist. “I love seeing the thing and responding.” By layering sheets of paper over rubber molds, which are made in her ceramics studio, Shechet directly links the two practices. The molds transfer the texture of glazed clay, firebricks, and tool markings into the paper pulp. “One other way that this is similar to working in ceramics is that it never looks as good as it looks when it’s wet,” says Shechet. “What I’m always pining for is the wet. It’s closer to the aliveness of the actual experience.” Finished paper works are shown at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston as part of Shechet’s twenty-year survey, All At Once, which is on view until September 7, 2015.

As a producer and director, Ian Forster creates documentary content for Art21’s various digital and broadcast programs. Since joining the organization in 2009, he has worked on four seasons of Art in the Twenty-First Century and the Peabody Award-winning film William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible. Additionally, he has overseen the digital series Extended Play since 2012, producing over 100 short artist portraits. Forster created the online video series Artist to Artist in 2013, which has since featured artists in conversation with their peers at international biennials in Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.